That’s right. Hidden beneath Newcastle’s bustling Hunter Street Mall lies the forgotten remains of a swimming pool that once made waves in local history — the Newcastle Corporation Baths. Over the years I’ve heard some of the older generations share stories about this, but I thought it was time I checked in on some of the facts instead of folklore about this now mysterious swimming spot!
Built in 1888 and tucked away on Newcomen Street, this indoor pool was Newcastle’s first purpose-built public swimming facility. Consisting of a classic Corinthian two-storey building with a portico entrance, it was a concrete swimming pool filled with sea water, which was to be pumped from Newcastle beach a kilometre away.
In an era when ocean swimming was considered dangerous, the baths offered a safe, clean, and modest alternative for the people of Newcastle.
Why Build an Indoor Pool?
In the 1800s, swimming at Newcastle Beach or the famous Bogey Hole came with real dangers: strong surf, unpredictable tides, and sharks.
Free beach swimming was legally allowed from 8pm until 5am, (not the most desirable or safe time to be swimming in the ocean), with many young men and boys arrested and sent to the lockup for swimming at the beach outside the legal hours. It wasn’t just the men who were dissatisfied with the available ocean swimming spaces, women also wanted a safe, enclosed place for swimming. Hence, planning for what was to become the ‘Newcastle Corporations Baths’ began.
The Corporation Baths were meant to be a statement — a sign that Newcastle was becoming a modern, forward-thinking city that cared about health, safety, and proper Victorian value. The reality was it became Newcastle’s ‘white elephant.’
What Happened to It?
No matter how hard the council tried to make it profitable, the baths seemed to be poorly designed and constructed. The baths were officially closed on the 31st of March, 1906.
Following closure, it was used for various purposes over the next 30 years, hosting a dog show, conversion to a music hall, singing competitions, housed a print studio for many years, part became a picture theatre in 1908, in 1919 a billiard saloon and offices take over the space, and these businesses, despite a fire in January of 1922 all stay in operation until the City Arcade renovations in 1939. Today, City Arcade still functions, featuring boutique stores and cafés.
But here’s the kicker: parts of the original pool still exist beneath the arcade. While it’s no longer accessible or in use, the bones of Newcastle’s hidden swimming history are still down there.
So the next time you’re shopping or grabbing a coffee on Hunter Street, just remember — you’re walking above a 19th-century swimming pool.
Pretty wild, right?